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Apple iPad, Does it Have what it Takes for Business Users?

COVENTRY, 10th February, 2010 ― Tablet PCs preceding Apple’s iPad may not have been marketed heavily to consumers, but they are critical in some industries such as health care, construction and field service. However, Nigel Owens, VP at tablet manufacturer Motion Computing, says businesses should not get caught up in the iPad fanfare because the product is seriously lacking in business features.

Motion is the leading independent vendor making tablets for specialised industries such as health care and construction. “We’ve got a good set of customers in hospitals around the world,” Nigel said. “We make purpose-built slate tablet PCs that are equipped to run enterprise applications and withstand the rigours of mobile working environments”.

And as slow as enterprises have been to embrace iPhones, Nigel thinks the Apple iPad will face an even steeper adoption curve among customers in vertical industries. “There is a lot of customisation and support needed to sell effectively to hospitals. You need the right form factor, the right cases, the right docks and/or carts, the ability to disinfect the tablet and integrate it with electronic medical records. The iPad’s touchscreen is also too fragile for construction sites or the day-to-day abuse of hospital settings.”

“Apple’s iPad uses the finger-based touch of the iPhone. While fine for viewing Web sites, watching movies and exploring music collections, it falls flat for more business-oriented tasks. A finger is inherently imprecise. Look at a spreadsheet - can you imagine trying to drag a cell from one place to another?” Nigel asked. “Or take nurses using tablets to fill out complicated patient admission forms filled with tiny fields - they’ll prefer stylus-based tablets like Motion’s. So will construction foremen wearing gloves or sporting dirty, greasy hands”, Nigel concluded.

Motion’s tablets all run the Windows operating system. That’s crucial for compatibility with the line-of-business and custom applications used by most industrial customers. Windows compatibility also makes the devices easy to configure as thin clients or virtualised desktops -- a popular choice for hospitals concerned about government requirements for data security, for example.

About Motion Computing
Motion Computing is a leading provider of integrated mobile computing solutions, combining world-class products with services customized for the unique needs of target vertical markets. The company’s enhanced line of rugged tablet PCs, mobile point of care solutions and accessories are designed to increase mobile productivity while providing portability, security, power and versatility. Motion Mobility Solutions offers a complete portfolio of products, services and support that helps ensure a successful mobile deployment for increased productivity, reducing project risk while delivering a more rapid return on investment.

For more information on Motion’s complete line of tablet PCs and solutions, please visit http://www.motioncomputing.co.uk

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